


As The Day Changes

by pretentious_git



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Cute, Hogwarts, Next Gen, Other, dead remus, dead tonks, teddy visits parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-04-02 14:04:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4062715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretentious_git/pseuds/pretentious_git
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Over time, Teddy Lupin visits his parents. With each growing age, he changes, but he'll never forget who his parents are to him. A short and sweet drabble of the ever so lovely last Lupin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As The Day Changes

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd, since i have a terrible time editing my own work. Hope you enjoy!

**As The Day Changes**

**Age 4**

            “Hawwy!” came the insistent shout as the small boy clasped his godfather’s hand with both of his small ones, dragging him as fast as he could through the cemetery towards the gravestones. “Come on, come on!” Teddy cried, pausing in his pulling in order to wipe his runny nose with a gloved hand. The late November weather was still, so luckily there was no breeze. However, that still didn’t stop the temperature in general to be ridiculously cold.

            The tall brunet smiled faintly down at the younger boy, stumbling after him as fast as he could. “Slow down, Ted,” Harry said, gripping Teddy’s hand tightly so that the child wouldn’t run off and trip over something. Merlin knew what actually registered in a toddler’s line of sight when they sprinted full force. “We’ll get there. There’s no rush.” He reminded him.

            Large eyes and big lips pouted underneath a messy mop of pink hair as Teddy huffed and nodded reluctantly, slowing down to match the pace of his godfather. He shifted so that they were walking side by side, swinging their hands absently.

            “The flowers? The flowers?” The high small voice of the boy made Harry turn his head to look down at him, grinning and holding up his other hand which clutched a bouquet of brightly colored flowers of all variety.

            “I have them, don’t worry.” Harry assured him. Teddy looked as if he wanted to reach out and ask to hold them himself, but when he took the few seconds to register the size and weight of the bouquet, he figured that it’d be best if Harry held it.

            The walk was silent for the most part, Harry feeling reflective and Teddy respecting the graves and silence around them. This was a tradition for them. At the beginning of every month, Harry would take Teddy from his grandmother’s house and they would travel down to the cemetery where Teddy’s parents were buried, in order to visit them before they began a new month in their life. When Teddy was still an infant, Harry would simply let the boy crawl around on the grass in front of him as he sat down and talked to Remus and Tonks, giving them an update on their son, and how he was doing. But now that Teddy was growing older, he was beginning to want more and more of a say during their monthly visits, and had taken to talking to his parents himself. As a child, he still hadn’t grasped the utter weight of being parentless, but he did know that it hurt. However, Harry being an orphan himself, they both related, and Teddy found solace in his godfather.

            They reached the small gate in the fence in which the Lupin’s headstones were surrounded with. It was a well-kept area, no doubt staying fresh by the use of magic. Stepping in, Teddy raced towards the headstones, falling to his knees while Harry closed the gate behind them, walking over to meet up with him, crouching down.

            Resting one hand on the child’s shoulder, Harry stared down at the pristine rocks that had names and dates engraved on them. “Would you like to go first or shall I?” he asked Teddy, knowing the answer, but asking out of tradition.

            “You go.” Teddy said simply, shuffling a little bit more to the side in order to give Harry sitting room with him right in the middle before the two graves. The Lupin child always wanted Harry to go first, not out of seniority, but because he wanted to have as much time as possible talking to his parents after Harry. He didn’t want to feel rushed, knowing that Harry would still have to talk after him if he went first.

            The older brunet nodded, and he reached out to place the bouquet in between the two graves, propped up by some rock that they had used as a stand. “Hello, professor.” Harry greeted, nodding at Remus’ grave. “’Wotcher’, Tonks.” He said warmly, smiling at the other one. “How are you two? Everything’s been going fine here. Andromeda’s doing well, and so is everyone else,” he said, aimed at Tonks’ grave. “The ministry’s still not too badly corrupt and Kingsley’s doing a fine job.” A smile tugging at the corner of his lips, he turned to face Remus, feeling the familiar sadness rest in his stomach at the man he had come to see as a close friend and father figure. “The Weasleys are still doing alright, and Hogwarts is back on its feet. Some construction is still going on, but things are getting better. A lot better.” Harry paused, feeling the young for year old fidget at his side. He hid a smile. “Anyways, that’s all I’ve got. I believe Teddy here has some things to tell you two.” With that, two things simultaneously happened at once. Teddy leaped forward to take up the entire middle as Harry scooted backwards and stood up. Despite Teddy sitting with him as he spoke, he knew that the child always shooed him off so that he could talk to his parents alone.

            “’Lo dad! Wotcha’ mum!” Teddy cried, kneeling and leaning forwards as he excitedly talked to the silent graves. “Lookie lookie!” the boy cried, bending his head forward so that his mop of hair was aimed towards the stone. With a screwed up face of concentration, Teddy gripped his hands tightly and clenched his eyes shut, letting loose an intense ‘mmm……’ as he his hair began to violently change colors. From pink, it flashed to green, then blue, brown, red, yellow, various colors at various speeds. Some harder to create, others coming to the boy easily. After the small color show on top Teddy’s head, he sat back with a slightly sweaty forehead and a bright grin on his face. “I can do it by myself!” he said proudly, the short but grammatically correct sentence being his latest pride in joy in both his godfather’s and grandmother’s household. “I’m a big boy! Lookie!” And with that, he wrinkled his nose so tightly, concentrating until slowly but surely, a duck’s bill morphed from his mouth, an unhindered honk coming out loudly. But just as quickly as it came forth, the bill disappeared, returning back to Teddy’s original face. “I’m a duck! Like you mum!”

            Harry smiled faintly from where he was sitting off to the side, back against the short fence.

**Age 8**

            Teddy walked quietly alongside Harry, following the familiar path down through the cemetery that they had taken every month. This time he was the one that was holding the bouquet – two of them, in fact. One for each grave. His mum’s was a bouquet flashing vibrantly of colors, clumsy and spontaneous, just like how people had described her. His dad’s was a humble group of wildflowers, simple and comforting, just like how Harry had described him. Harry himself was next to him, one hand tucked in his shorts pocket as the other reached up to wipe off a bit of sweat that was sliding down his forehead. It was July, right in the middle of summer, and despite it being England, the sun was not covered by even a single cloud.

            As they neared the gate, Teddy waited patiently as Harry unlocked the gate, stepping in and waiting for Teddy to follow through. Wordlessly, the two stepped over to the two graves, still as pristine as they had seen it last month, and the month before that, and the year before that. Teddy dropped to his knees, placing his mum’s bouquet on her grave, and his dad’s on his, before looking up at Harry with the expectant look in his eyes. “You go?” he said, without asking for Harry. The man simply smiled and nodded, before turning to the graves and speaking softly.

            Teddy waited off to the side, hands shoved in his pockets as he stared off at the rest of the cemetery. He had taken to giving Harry his privacy as well, since Harry returned the sentiment with leaving Teddy alone. As was a self-made tradition, Teddy’s hair was a bright pink, in honor of his mother. For his father, he didn’t necessarily do anything, but he hoped being a boy compensated enough. He figured that most people probably would’ve gotten tired of things like these. Visiting the same grave every single month. Assuming you had to say the same thing over and over. But not for Teddy. He always made sure he had something new to say to his parents when he saw them. They deserved that much from him. New stories, new accomplishments. His father had been a professor – Teddy wanted to prove that he was doing well in school, despite it being a muggle school still. His mother was an amazing metamorphmagus – he would prove to her that with every passing month, he could morph into a new shape, or at least facially reconstruct. He would shamelessly do all he could to show his parents that their death was not in vain in regards to their son.

            When it was his turn, and Harry wandered off to the side, Teddy walked over and dropped to the ground, crossing his legs and rubbing his arm. “Hello mom, dad,” He started off, wearing a faint smile. “How are you? Yes I’ve been eating well, and no, grandmother isn’t always giving me sweets, don’t worry. Primary school is fun, I think I’ve already told you. But now it’s summer vacation so I’ll be switching grades come the fall.” He turned to look at his father’s grave with a proud smile. “Dad, I got three awards. One for academic achievement, another for perfect attendance, and another for best dressed. Which I don’t think it’s really such an important award, but the ladies in the office said it was for the wall so they took a picture of me. I came home and told grandmother and she nearly stared crying because apparently my outfit for the day was something that you wore a lot, she said.” Teddy smiled warmly at that idea, and rubbed his nose. “I’d like to be more like you dad. Uncle Harry says I am already, and I believe him.” Silence fell between him and the graves, and he turned away, gnawing on his bottom lip gently. Raising his head a bit, his eyes rested on a brilliant splash of color which were the flowers on his mum’s grave. “Mum. I can split my hair colors.” He said proudly and quietly, shifting so that he was sitting up straight. “Want to see?” Closing his eyes in a relaxed manner, he made the pink hair fade away until one half of his head was a striking navy blue, and the other half of his head was a neon lime green. It looked utterly ridiculous, but it got the point across.

            He morphed it back after a couple of seconds sitting in content silence, before muttering a soft good bye and standing up, looking at Harry. They both nodded, then headed towards the gate.

**Age 12**

“-and Professor Sprout’s really taken a hating to me, well, Uncle Harry says that’s completely not true and a professor should never hate anyone but when I asked him he said that he was _sure_ Snape had hated him when he was a student. I’m sorry dad but I really just don’t do that well in Herbology, I mean, it’s such a hard topic! Why do I need to know what all of these plants do when I can just as Katie Longbottom? Yeah, yeah, I know…that sounds really James Potter-like…speaking of which, he’s really, really popular in school, mum. Just like his dad. Actually, all of the Potter kids are. And the Weasley kids. All of them! And since I’m part of their friend group, heh…even I’m popular, mum! I was talking to Victoire the other day about how there is just one huge family here, with more on the way, since little Lily Luna and Hugo are still waiting their turn. But that’s alright, they’ll get to Hogwarts, then the Weasley and Potter and Lupin family will be even bigger! And we’ll get even more popular, because we definitely need the fame. Did you know that Albus and Scorpius Malfoy really hit it off? Yes! Malfoy! That man that Uncle Harry said was a rude git when he was in school? His son is Albus’ best friend, it’s absolutely ridiculous. But whatever, he’s nice to me. In fact, he’s a little quiet and he’s surprisingly really, really smart-“

            Off to the side, Harry glanced at his watch, noting that the time was inching closer and closer to the evening. But he didn’t dare cut Teddy off. Yes, the boy had his friends and large extended family, but this was the one day a month he was able to bring back all of the news to his parents, and talk and talk to his heart’s content. He hadn’t brought along his kids because they understood that this was Teddy’s time alone with his parents. During the school year, Harry had guiltily done some name-dropping for McGonagall in order to get Teddy out every month. Not that he needed to do much asking. The Headmistress felt for Teddy just as much as Teddy wanted to go, so at the start of every month, Harry found a way to greet the entire school hello, see to his kids, and let Teddy visit his parents, conveniently buried just out of Hogsmeade.

            “-which ended up in Albus screaming as he ran down the hallway, Merlin first years can be really annoying. Dad, I wonder how you dealt with all those kinds of students. The seventh years are nothing like the younger years, but I suppose that’s to be expected, seeing as they _are_ older and much more mature. But mum! That reminds me! An auror came to Hogwarts the other day, apparently to talk to McGonagall about some sort of business or whatever. He looked _so cool_. Was that what you wore when you were an auror? He had on these flashy silver robes and his badge was really shiny, as if he washed it every single day. I wonder if that’s what you wore. Do you think the uniforms will be the same when I go on to be an Auror?” Teddy cast a slight apologetic look at his father’s grave. “Sorry again dad that I don’t really want to be a professor like you. Uncle Harry talks about his job always as an auror so I think it’d be super cool if I became an auror too. Maybe I can get Albus to be an auror with me, what do you think? He says he wants to join a professional quidditch team, but I think James already claimed that spot. He’s really, really good…-“

            Harry watched as the boy babbled away to the grey headstones before him. He didn’t mind waiting awhile.

**Age 16**

             Teddy shifted quietly, scuffing his shoe into the ground as he adjusted his scarf with the hand that wasn’t shoved in his pocket. It was a peaceful yet chilly night, with the moon clear in the sky – perfectly round.

            “Hey, mum. Dad.” He greeted, bobbing his head at the gravestones, his wavy yet short, stylish hair bouncing as his head moved. “I…I know it’s the middle of the month, and I know I’m not supposed to sneak out…” Teddy pursed his lips, sighing. It had been getting harder and harder to find words the older he got. Maybe because of age? Perhaps. “I just wanted to talk to you guys without Uncle Harry hanging around. Not that I don’t like him here!” he quickly amended, waving a hand about. “No, he’s fantastic. I just, he’s getting old, you know, haha, I don’t want him to bother with taking me every single month. He’s got to focus on his own life and all that.” Silence fell for a bit, before Teddy coughed. “And it’s much easier without someone hearing every single word I say. I’m sure Uncle Harry tries not to listen anyways, but you know what I mean.”

            More silence hung in the air around him, and Teddy sighed before crouching down, pulling his hand out of his pocket. Since it was the middle of the night in the middle of the month, he couldn’t really get a bouquet. So instead, he set down a single framed photograph of his two parents hugging each other and smiling up at him, waving cheerily. He had a copy of one in his room, and made another in order to set it here. Drawing out his wand, he cast a spell that anchored it to its spot between the graves, then cast another shield charm to keep it safe from any bad weather that came its way.

            Standing up again, he brushed his hands on his jeans then slid his hands back into his pockets. He tilted his head up and rested his gaze on the full moon that shone brightly above him. “It’s this kind of night, isn’t it, dad?” He asked, studying the serene moon that lit up the graveyard around him. “You’d be changing right now, or perhaps you’d already be changed.” He dropped his head to look at his father’s grave. “A lot of people have given me shit about it, you know. They’ve teased me about my father being a ‘dingy dog’ and all that.” A faint, amused smile flickered on Teddy’s face. “Their fault for being slytherins and having Scorpius Malfoy in their house. Albus, after hearing the taunts, would tell Scorp, and, well. I suppose you can assume from there.” He hummed quietly. “But I’m a sixth year now so usually whatever they say, plenty of people back me up. Not that I need their help, but it’s nice to have support. You and mum are in the books, you know. The history books that they’re providing to the third years and down. The Battle of Hogwarts fills up a ridiculous amount of those pages…you and mum are in there…So nearly everyone knows that you’re…you’re a hero dad. You too, mum. Both of you.”

            Teddy bit his lip, feeling emotion crawling up in his chest. He had remembered borrowing the book of his dorm mate just to read the pages about his parents and the order. Whoever had written it was apparently quite devoted to them all, and had praised his father and mother to high heavens. Everything that they did and accomplished was splashed on the pages, and pictures showed them standing by the order, or with aurors, or even with Uncle Harry. Teddy never realized just how much he could have missed his parents despite never having them around.

            Slamming the heels of his palms into his eyes, he clenched them tightly as he breathed heavily, standing hunched over his parents graves, weakened. His breaths were loud as he tried to hold back tears, before he gave up and let out a shuddering stop, slamming his toes into the ground and kicking up some dirt, spraying the graves. “FUCK IT!” he snarled, falling to his knees as he remembered the pages that he read, words and words and words running through his mind. He memorized all of them. Everything his parents did. Everything that they were acknowledged for. Every detail, every picture, every single damn thing. He stored it away in his head and heart and held it tight with trembling arms. “Fuck them all…” he said, face covered with shaking fingers, as he cursed the children in the school who had their parents. He knew he didn’t mean it though. He still had Harry, and Ron, and Hermione, and George, and Ginny and his Grandmother and literally everyone else who had taken them in. They showered him with love and care and affection that he could find nowhere else, and he savored it all and cherished it deeply.       

            “I’m sorry,” he whispered, dropping his hands to reveal slightly red eyes and a broken expression. “I miss you.” He then sighed, knowing that it was impossible to miss something he never even had in his life. He wondered if this was how his Uncle Harry felt when he was younger. Tired, torn, and in yearn for a real family.

            Standing up, he wiped his eyes one last time before sliding his hands into his pockets. He gazed over at the picture that depicted his happy parents, laughing joyously at some hidden situation behind the camera that Teddy would probably never know about. A sad smile tinged his lips as he turned around and headed back to the castle.

**Age 20**

            A tall, flaxen-haired young man stood proudly in front of the grave, eyes bright with life as one hand held a large bouquet of flowers, his other hand tightly intertwined with someone else’s.

            “Mum, dad, you already know Victoire. I’ve brough her here a few times.” He said, kneeling down on one leg to place the bouquet before the picture frame that had been there for the past four years, without a single blemish. He stood back up and released Victoire’s hand, sliding his arm around her waist.

            “Hello again Mrs. And Mr. Lupin,” Victoire said warmly, smiling down at the graves before looking at the familiar photograph. She was the one who had helped Teddy make a copy, so many years ago. “It’s nice to see you again.”

            Teddy shifted next to her, and smiled down excitedly at his parents’ graves. “Right, well, you probably figured that this was coming up, and I suppose it’s inevitable since we’ve been dating since forever-“ he paused to chuckle when Victoire laughed and kissed his cheeks. “But…we’re getting married.”

            “Finally.” Came Victoire’s little drawl of an input, and Teddy imagined his parents would’ve laughed at that.

            “Yes, we’re finally getting married.” He fixed, mirth dancing in his eyes. “And well, the wedding is set for a month from now…but we just wanted to tell you to…get your blessing.” He said softly, feeling relaxed with Victoire’s soft form next to him. They both knew that there would technically be no reply from the two graves, but it was still a comforting feeling in telling Teddy’s parents. “We both promise to love each other no matter what.” Teddy said firmly.

            Nodding next to him, Victoire smiled. “I promise I’ll love your son.” She said, tightening her embrace around Teddy, who had turned to press a kiss into her hair.

            They spoke for a little bit more, telling Remus and Tonks about the upcoming wedding plans, where they plan to move, and what they intend to do as a married couple. As the scenery around them hit a soft glow of the upcoming-dust, they smiled, murmured temporary farewells, and departed.

**Several Years Later**

            Teddy silently swore, nearly tripping over a set of building blocks that were littered all over the middle of the hallway in their small cottage, hopping over them with ease and walking into the living room where his wife was studiously pulling on her coat. “Ready?” he asked her, and she looked at him and smiled. It was time for their trip to his parents’ graves – trips that had shrunk down to twice or thrice a year due to work and the distance. Teddy and Victoire ended up moving to France, where their only daughter was being sent to Beauxbatons next year, with the ever prominent bulge on Victoire’s belly, they’d probably be moving back to England eventually, in order to have the new Lupin family attending Hogwarts, daughter and newborn son all.

            “Good.” He said, before turning to bellow at the stairs. “Nymphadora!” he cried out, waiting for a few seconds, before hearing the thumps upstairs signaling his daughter’s quick descent downstairs.

            “Papa, hold on!” came a high voice as Nymphadora Lupin burst in the room, hastily fixing the bows she had in her hair. “I had to find a bow that fit with my hair color that fit with my outfit!” the dramatic little girl exclaimed, and Teddy couldn’t help but snicker as Victoire sighed and made her way to her daughter, aiding her.

            Nymphadora had been dutifully named after his own mother, something that Victoire was completely onboard with. Luckily, this girl absolutely adored her name. And to both of their surprise, she was born a metamorphmagus, one that had grown just as talented as Teddy’s mother. Now, she had chosen silvery hair like her mother’s, a white satin bow tying it back to match her lacy cream dress. Teddy had never felt more proud.

            “Alright, all ready!” Nymphadora chirped, reaching out to grab hold of her mother and father’s hands, holding on tightly. She glanced at the blazing floo before smiling up at her father. “Off to see grandmama and grandpapa, oui?” She asked, beaming.

            Teddy gripped her hand tightly and nodded, tossing a handful of powder into the fireplace. “Yes,” he replied. “Let’s go visit.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments appreciated.


End file.
